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August, 2014

  1. FermiLab

    August 31, 2014 by admin

    This TRFamily loves an off the beaten path adventure.  When we heard about FermiLab in Aurora, IL, we knew it was right up our alley!  We packed some snacks and the roadtrip car bags and headed out.IMG_7381

    The FermiLab (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory) is a US Department of Energy facility and home to a large underground particle accelerator and several other high energy and physics experiements.

    Finding the lab was easy- it’s right off the main road going north out of Aurora.  We checked in at the guard post and were a little surprised to find that we would be free to explore the campus-like grounds (if we followed their rules:  only certain areas and certain floors).  We headed first to the Wilson Building- a fifteen story office tower that dominates the landscape and over looks the main accelerator.

    IMG_7390The 15th floor of the Wilson Building offers views of the campus along with many explanatory models of the science projects being done at the lab.  We loved looking out at the full view of the grounds and all the many outbuildings associated with different projects.  The property hosts a herd of bison on the grounds, but on the hot day we visited they were all seeking shelter out of view.

    Next we visited the hands-on Lederman Science Center.  This small building houses dozens of activities and experiments for families to show some of the work being done at the Fermilab. Most of the activities educated, in various different ways, how molecules and atoms work.  Everyone found a favorite activity there- from simulated particle collisions, to working remote trucks, to cosmic ray showers.IMG_7394

    There is more to the lab that we didn’t explore, including a dog park and a history display showing what the area looked like before the FermiLab moved in.  A family with older kids and/or more time available could spend most of the day exploring these grounds.

    It was definitely one of our stranger trips.  But we thoroughly enjoyed our time at Fermilab.

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  2. Begin The Vegan

    August 29, 2014 by admin

    IMG_2166TRMom has decided to embrace veganism. Vegetarian since around 15 years of age, she noticed that as an adult, her diet had deteriorated into convenience and junk. Wanting to make a step towards better health and realizing that structure and strictness were motivating factors for her, the vegan diet seemed an obvious direction.

    One of the most difficult aspects of this dietary transition has been figuring out road trip food. We are a family on the go! We usually pack a decent amount of snacks, and occasionally a picnic lunch. But just as often, we like to enjoy lunch out when exploring.

    The usual go-to Culvers veggie burger is not vegan. So what sort of choices are out there that would be friendly venues for our entire family? Thanks to the internet, we found two very helpful site links:

    http://urbantastebuds.com/43-vegan-chain-restaurant-menus-every-vegan-needs-know/

    http://www.peta.org/living/food/happy-cow/chain-restaurants/

    It was very interesting to see how many options exist! Now we can do just a quick bit of research, either before our trips or while on the road. And TRMom can enjoy something other than a sorry little side salad.

    This vegan thing just might stick!

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  3. Your Museum Of Natural History

    August 27, 2014 by admin

    IMG_2160We have a growing collection of sticks, rocks, feathers and other items collected on our various wanders.  We could say it’s just the kids, but TRMom and TRDad are just as likely as anyone to spot a cool something and pick it up for inspection.  We’ve started to dub our ever-growing collection “The Museum.”  And like any other museum, it offers learning opportunities to those who pause to check it out.

    Primarily located on a window sill on our back porch, the Museum houses many natural wonders, which our chief curator Bluey will gladly interpret.  There’s a bird skull from the parking lot of his swim class, the honey comb we found on the bike path.  We have many cool rocks from various parts of the country, and feathers from many birds- especially birds of prey and turkeys, both of which live in our neighborhood.

    IMG_2159Recently, we found a part of a mammal’s lower mandible on our way to the library.  This triggered a full-on investigation about what animal it may have come from.  Bluey offered his own hypotheses, and disproved several contenders by examining animals we had on hand: the cats and the dog.  An internet call-out to our friends who are animal experts and outdoorsy types offered a number of leads.

    We finally decided to head to a nearby state park to compare our sample with their small display of various skeletons.  It has been a great investigation.  We have thoroughly enjoyed all the related conversations about what foods the animal might have eaten, and how it came to be in our neighborhood.

    All from our Museum collection.

    So we encourage you to let your kiddoes bring home their finds.  And to keep them, study them and learn from them.  Start your own museum.

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  4. Backroads Bonus: Pockets in Aurora, IL

    August 24, 2014 by admin

    It can be hard to find a good place to eat when traveling.  Many places we consider are either too expensive, not at all nutritious, or lack vegetarian/vegan options.

    And then there’s the trick of convincing the kiddoes to give a new place a try.  On some days they are very adventurous and eager to check out a new menu.  Other IMG_7408days they want the satisfying security of going to a known restaurant.  We can easily fall into a pattern of seeking out the short list of national and regional chains that offer foods we know our kiddoes happily eat.

    But we are also working on expanding their palates, as well as encouraging their eagerness to try new places.

    We found great success with this endeavor on a recent jaunt to Aurora, Illinois, where we discovered Pockets.

    Pockets is small chain in Illinois featuring a menu built around the idea of… pockets!  Pitas, calzones and stuffed potatoes make up the bulk of their menu.  But they also offer salads and pizza, along with soups and a few sides.

    IMG_7406Pockets hit all the marks for us: cost, nutrition, vegetarian/vegan-friendly, and kid-friendly.

    Upon entering, we were most pleased to read on the Pockets’ board, in big letters,  “Veggies Only? Subtract $1.20!”  Typically, we are charged the standard price of a meal whenever we request the removal of the meat.  We knew that we were in the right place when we’d finally save money for being vegetarians/vegans!

    Pockets bakes their whole wheat bread fresh.  Their kids meals come with a choice of fresh fruit and the kids pizza is on whole wheat crust in the shape of a dinosaur!  You can choose from the standard menu or you can build your own meal.

    Our food arrived within 15 minutes and we dug in.  Everyone ate up to the very last crumb.  We were completely satisfied and very impressed. The total bill was equal to our family’s typical charge for eating at one of our favorite chains.

    So now the only question that remains?  When will a Pockets open in Madison?

     

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  5. Galena, Illinois

    August 22, 2014 by admin

    IMG_7248Many of our friends in the Madison area have recommended that we visit Galena, Illinois.  “Oh you’ll love it.” they said.  So we thought we’d give it a try.  We can certainly recognize the appeal of a trip to Galena. It does have a lot going for it, with numerous small shops and antique stores.  But for our frugal, adventurous and exploring family, this town fell short of ideal.

    Just about 1 1/2 hours from Madison, Galena is a great day trip distance at the end of a pleasant route. We rolled into town and promptly missed the road we needed. Perhaps we just weren’t being observant, but our take-away was that there seemed to be an annoying lack of informative signs.

    Thankfully, Galena has a nice Chamber of Comnerce with clean bathrooms. The friendly staff got us headed in the right direction for our first destination, the West Street Sculpture Park (WSSP).  Based on the reaction of the employees at the Chamber (one didn’t know where it was), we quickly deduced that this wasn’t a popular site.  But it should be!IMG_7252

    WSSP is about a 1/2 mile up a steep incline just outside of the main shopping district and it is well worth a visit!  The artist, John Martinson, has filled the wooded property with large scale sculptures.  There are about 2 acres of land and art to explore for no charge, though donations are welcome.

    Tip1:  WSSP is not handicap accessible and doesn’t have defined walkways.  There are no restrooms or parking lots.  Street parking is plentiful.

    Our family had a great time hiking through WSSP.  It greatly helped revive and refocus our spirit after the car ride into Galena.

    We then headed into the main part of town.  Immediately, we assessed what was in store for this next part of our adventure.  Main Street Galena is a tourist town with boutique shopping as its primary focus.  Street parking is available but if you roll into town late, you are going to struggle to find a spot outside of the pay lots.

    We headed for a toy store we’d heard about, thinking this would be a great place to take our Bluey.  After heading the wrong way up Main Street (again- maybe some signs would help here?),  we finally found the shop.  But the inventory was mostly high-priced collectible toys, not the thing for our five year old.

    We found an ice cream shop and refueled for a further explore of the downtown before lunch.

    IMG_2144Planning to stretch our legs on a walking path that bisects the city, we wandered into the Old Blacksmith Shop.   Here, our Bluey was fascinated by the free demonstration of metal work.  The smith was very informative, talking about the process the whole time he worked and informing everyone of the science involved in shaping steel.  We highly recommend stopping at the smithy!

    Heading back to the walking path, we were thrilled to discover a fallen tree that we could examine and climb.  After rolling down the grassy hills and walking along a raised wall, we headed away from the expensive main street restaurants for lunch.

    Tip2: There are numerous parks and river walkways in Galena.  We highly suggest that you pack a picnic lunch if your family is vegetarian/vegan.  The local Culvers does not offer their typical veggie burger and most restaurants in town are focused on meat.

    Overall, Galena seems best suited to an older, or more monied crowd.  But the sculpture garden and smithy were definitely popular with our family.  We managed to have a good time by finding the places that most people were passing over.  But we really don’t think that the average family with younger kids will greatly enjoy Galena.

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  6. Chickpea Salad

    August 21, 2014 by admin

    Sometimes there’s nothing better than a good bean salad!IMG_2148

    We make them regularly, and with several types of beans, but lately our favorite has been this nutritious and filling Chickpea Salad.  Once you’ve cooked the beans, it goes together in minutes and can be eaten fresh, or saved for a later day.

    Ingredients:

    1 Cup Dried Chickpeas

    1/2 Diced Red Pepper

    1/2 Diced Red Onion

    1/4 Cup Shredded Carrots

    1/4 Cup Your Favorite Salad Dressing

    Process:

    1.  Boil Chickpeas in plenty of water, 1-2 hours until they reach your preferred level of softness.

    2. Drain beans and toss with veggies.

    3.  Toss with Salad Dressing, either all at once, or as needed.

     

    IMG_2149Tip: We prefer to leave the salad undressed, so it can be customized when eaten.  Each family member can choose their own favorite dressing, for example.

    You can eat the cold chickpea salad within a wrap.  Or you can throw it on top of some brown rice, add a little salsa, and warm everything up for a nice sort of stew.  Really, the possibilities are endless!

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  7. What Happened Today?

    August 17, 2014 by admin

    We have a simple daily tradition at our home at dinnertime: Tell us what happened today?princess_11_md

    We like a little conversation with our evening meal, it’s a chance for us all to connect and reflect at the end of the day. But we don’t want it to just be TRMom and TRDad doing all the talking.

    So we have a time where we go around the table and ask: What happened with your day? Or: What’s the best thing that happened to you today? Or some other variation on the same theme. It gives everyone at the table a chance to share something, or tell us what’s going on.

    And we mean everyone. Guests at our home usually find themselves asked the same sorts of questions. We have two young friends who come over a few times a week, and while at first they were hesitant to talk, now they argue over who gets to go first!  These conversations give us a chance to learn more about our friends and our children’s friends.

    Rather than silent, sullen, or rushed meals- our dinners are a chance to speak your piece, to share an exciting event, or talk about an upcoming event.

    This dinner conversation is also a great learning opportunity. When Bluey was younger, much of his grasp of the passage of time came from these conversations.  It required him to think about the recent past and upcoming events, and to try and set things in order. For Plum, many dinner conversations start out simply enough but evolve into talks about dealing with school, friends, or life in general- topics many tweens are hesitant to bring up otherwise.

    Not every meal is scintillating conversation at our house. Sometimes the kiddoes don’t have much to say. And that’s OK, too. We encourage, but we don’t force, conversing at our meals.

    We’ll ask again tomorrow.

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  8. Walk Amongst The Flowers

    August 15, 2014 by admin

    Hidden in Verona is the Pope Farm Conservancy (PFC). There are 105 acres of land which is owned and maintained by the Town of Middleton.   You can enjoy IMG_7213numerous trails that are enhanced with informative signage. There are also picnic areas, parking lots, and at least one water fountain on the property. There is no charge for entering PFC.

    We visited during the peak of their annual sunflower bloom. The lower parking lot requires a rather steep hike along a stone fence (no climbing!) to reach the sunflowers.

    Tip: There is an upper lot if you aren’t up for the trek from below.

    Once you crest the hill, you are awarded with acres of bright yellow sunflowers and a 360 degree view of the IMG_7188surrounding land that is just breathtaking. Our Bluey broke into a gleeful run caused by the pure exhilaration of the natural beauty that surrounded him.

    Even though there were moderate crowds on the day we visited PFC, beyond an occasional friendly nod or greeting along the trail, we felt like we had the land to ourselves. We could hear the birds chattering and the corn stalks whispering.

    There is so much to enjoy at this conservancy beyond the sunflowers. If you are looking for a gorgeous spot to hike and enjoy communing with nature, you should definitely add PFC to your short list.

     

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  9. Oh my gosh! It’s Oshkosh.

    August 13, 2014 by admin

    IMG_7107

    Looking for an inexpensive day trip in the Fox Cities region of Wisconsin?  Then we highly recommend that you check out the Oshkosh Public Museum (OPM).

    IMG_7112The OPM is housed within the historic Sawyer home, which was built by a local lumber baron in 1908.  Along with many museum displays of life around the Lake Winnebago region and various art works,  you can explore some of the homes original interior design.  One of the very special exhibitions is the Apostles Clock which still chimes on the top of every hour, lights up, and begins a not-to-be missed mechanical parade.

    We were very impressed with the number of interactive displays within OPM.  There are some much larger, and well endowed, museums that don’t seem to grasp the positive impact of allowing guests to get hands-on with history.  But OPM understands.  They offer up everything from a scavenger hunt with a prize if completed to a grandma’s attic filled with toys, dress up clothes, and trunks that play music when opened.  We were lucky enough to visit while they hosted a temporary interactive exhibit on parasites!

    Even OPM’s gift shop is better than many we’ve seen.  Along with expensive home decor pieces and books, it offered numerous items for under $5 (even choices under $1), so every family member can get a keepsake to remember their trip.

    The museum also displays numerous xeroxed news articles and original source works regarding OshKosh’s participation in national events, available for free perusal to all guests in the basement level of the museum.

    Admission is free (kids under 6 get in for no charge) if you are a member of ASTC and can fit within the weird confines of those exacerbating distance rules.  Parking is plentiful, restrooms are clean and have changing stations, and the grounds of the museum are worth exploring.

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  10. Shutterbugs!

    August 10, 2014 by admin

    IMG_7207

    We take pictures all the time as one way of recording our family adventures. Thanks to the development of digital cameras, both of our kids also take photos frequently= putting their own visions to permanence.

    Digital photography allows us to really take the reins off our kiddos visual art. The photos cost essentially nothing, less than a penny for digital storage per pic.  And choosing to print them out isn’t all that expensive.

    So why not let the kiddoes cut loose?  Our kids can shoot all the pics they want  with minimal input from us.  Then they decide for themselves which ones are ‘good’ shots.

    We’ve recently taken a shining to the popular social network, Instragram. We love it because among other things, it has enhanced our artistic vision when taking photographs. Instagram has allowed us to break out of our photography rut and put a little extra art into our digital pics.  We enjoy trying a little harder to find a good angle, or making sure that shadows don’t interfere with an image.

    Instagram also offers a pretty safe way to introduce our tween to social media. We helped Plum set the privacy controls on her Instagram account, and talked with her about paying attention to the content of her photos. Now Plum can communicate with her friends and begin to make her own mark on the web.

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